“Bridesmaids” beats all the slacker dudes at the box office

Ladies, we did it. Women are now funnier than men. That’s right, that age-old chestnut about women not being funny has finally been officially, definitively, undeniably disproved. We are funny. We are hilarious. The proof? Money. We’re profitable, just look at Bridesmaids.

Last Thursday the female-fronted comedy surpassed Knocked Up as mega-producer Judd Apatow’s highest domestic grossing film to date. That’s right, the king of the slacker dude comedies has scored his biggest hit with a bunch of delightful dames. God, life is kind of perfect sometimes.

That means Kristin Wiig and company have beaten out not only Knocked Up but The 40 Year Old Virgin, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Pineapple Express to claim the top spot in Apatow’s long credit list.

In fact, the film is well on track to becoming the highest-grossing domestic female-fronted comedy of all time, besting Sex and the City’s previous haul of $152.6 million. Both films featured a wedding, though only one that I recall featured public defecation. Note to Hollywood: This does not mean we need a whole new slew of wedding-based female comedies, or poop-based ones, just so we’re clear.

Naturally, our big lady win at the box office is already causing major changes in Hollywood. Michael Bay immediately announced he will stop making movies about giant alien robots and demanded instead to helm the upcoming What to Expect When You’re Expecting film. Also, effective immediately, Kristen Wiig will start earning more per picture than Brad Pitt, Adam Sandler and Will Smith, combined.

All kidding and gloating aside, Bridesmaids’ triumphs do not mean women are funnier than men. Or vice versa. We can both be funny – duh. But what it is is a reminder that, despite conventional wisdom, women being funny on the big screen can be a very profitable venture. So maybe the entertainment industry should stop looking at women as a niche audience (‘cause, um, we’re only more than half of the global population) and start making more smart, funny female-fronted films that everyone can enjoy. If you make it funny, we will come.